Essex Musings

[JIMRPT@AOL.COM]

Et Al;
 Some interesting takes on the name "Essex".........
Let Me throw this in the pot for thought food. :-)

"Essex" was the name of a sailing ship used for whaling in the early 1800's. 
While on a whaling hunt off the coast of Peru, and captained by a skipper 
named Pollard, the ship was attacked twice by a gigantic Sperm whale.... in 
the second attack/ramming the side of the ship was stove in, the whale swam 
off and the ship sank.  Some survivors of "Essex" floated around for many 
weeks in the Pacific ocean and ended up shooting one of the remaining 
survivors for food. The lot of who was to be shot was made by drawing straws 
and the person to do the shooting was chosen the same way.
 The crewman was shot providing food for the survival of the rest of the crew 
who were all picked up some time later by another whaler who happened to 
discover them quite some distance at sea.
 
  Returning home none of the crew was charged with anything and Captain 
Pollard secured another whaling vessel to command. Shipping out as a common 
seaman on this second ship was a scholar by the name of Herman Melville. 
During a storm near land Captain Pollards  new ship was blown against a reef, 
was holed and sank.  Of course this ended Captain Pollards sailing carreer 
but............... the adventure of this sinking and the stories of the 
trials of the "Essex" that Melville heard during the voyage and while 
shipwrecked formed the basis for a novel known as "Moby Dick".

 So The "Essex" piano is named after:
a.) Essex England
b.) Essex MA
c.) A ship sunk by a whale

 Of course there may be other choices... :-)
Jim Bryant (FL)